At home at the Coffee House

At home at the Coffee House
B Pradeep Nair | TNN


On Bangalore’s ever-evolving showpiece street, M G Road, time stands still at the India Coffee House. When the modern mantra is “innovate”, this half-a-century old restaurant has refused to move on. It proclaims grittily that its future lies in the past. And with good reason too: the soothing envelope of its old-world charm is still the easiest getaway from the glitz, gloss and superficiality of modernity for thousands of people, from intellectuals to romantic couples and also the firang tourists.
No one walks into Coffee House salivating over crispy masala dosas or cutlets. In fact, even a hot cup of coffee is incidental.
The heady brew is the conversation: topics ranging from dreams and gossip to sweet nothings; from the latest buzz in the art world to saving trees; from socialism in the US to capitalism in China, to who will be back in power — more than the clatter of coffee cups, it’s the gentle drone of the chat.
With a pan-Indian presence of around 400 outlets, India Coffee House is also a place where newcomers to Bangalore feel at home, a place they can easily identify with, whose aroma is familiar... its USP is informality.
This is not one of those places where waiters nag you into placing orders; or after having shelled out a good price, you are nudged into vacating.
Here you can sit for hours and look through the glass panes the world pass by. If anything is missing, it’s the ashtrays and smoke, thanks to Anbumani Ramadoss.
The MG Road ICH is a landmark rendezvous where the people-centric credo isn’t difficult to understand, again, it lies in the past.
This chain of hotels was founded in the 1950s as a workers’ cooperative society by Kerala’s communist leader A K Gopalan. The subtle Leftist underpinnings are very much there, holding out to the contrariant surge.
But there is now this death knell that’s threatening to grow louder soon.
Will the ICH too end up like all good things, only in memory? Ask anyone at the Coffee House and they’ll tell you: “As of now, we aren’t going anywhere. We are here.” Hope that reassuring promise holds good.
CROWD-PULLERS Dosa: May be soft and served with watery chutney, fork and knife, but many come from far and near for it
Scrambled eggs: Fluffy and white, soaking the slice underneath, it makes for a yummy, filling snack; quite unique
Cutlets: In veg and mutton variety, hot stuff
Finger chips: Another crispy big draw